Imaginary Friend
by OfAmethystEyes
Summary: Everyone's heaven is different. For Yuki, it was the same as the dream that he'd nurtured in the dark room: a loving family, a home to return to, and a place to feel accepted. His young life cut short, Yuki finds heaven sooner than he thought within the apartment of Tohru and Kyoko Honda.
1. Pinky Promise

**Here it is. Imaginary Friend. I'm really happy to be writing this and I'm glad it took me so long since it's changed a bit since I first started playing with the idea and it much improved for it.**

**Isoya-Michiko: Get well soon! Although I still don't know how you fractured your elbow.**

**seriously-crazy-korean: I hope you didn't explode. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or its characters and all rights go to Natsuki Takaya, who is a mastermind and goddess. Her marvelous work has my heart. **

_Yuki huddled in the snow, trembling with cold. He was wearing only a thin sweater and the snow had quickly melted into his socks which were now frozen stiff. The young boy had long since stopped pounding on the locked door leading into the main house and begging for Akito to let him back in. Instead, he simply curled in the doorframe, the cold wind biting at his bare hands, face, and ankles. He knew his bronchitis was acting up too and the few small threads of cold air getting to his lungs were fast becoming too sparse and making his head pound._

_A terrifying thought entered his progressively slowing brain: What if he died? _

_Using as much strength as he had left Yuki gave one last try to get some one's attention inside. Pounding weakly, and coughing in between words, he called, "Please… Akito… someone… let me in!" He waited, still pounding, but no one came. Wheezing, desperately trying to breathe, his fist fell away from the door and he felt a small part of him give up. Tears freezing onto his face, he leaned his forehead against the door, crying. Was this how it would all end? All the pain and fear would end by him dying alone out in the cold. _

_He knew no one would save him; he knew that. His mother ignored his pain and Ayame looked right through him. No one would save him. The thought numbed him mentally as his body slowly became numb from the cold. His breath seemed to have disappeared, and although his mind had slowly been shutting down, he panicked. He couldn't breathe! What was he supposed to do? He didn't have air in his lungs to call for help and his body felt too heavy and frozen to move. Gasping, eyes wide, and terrified, Yuki tried to force oxygen into his lungs, but there was nothing he could do. _

_When his body could take no more, he felt himself transform, the uncomfortable sensation enveloping him until he lay within his icy sweater. In a vain attempt to avoid the cold wind, he curled up in his small rat form, tucking his head between his paws. Trembling, barely breathing, and petrified, he lay there, still hoping that someone would open the door and let him back inside._

_Less than an hour later, the rat within those frosty clothes lay still and unmoving with his eyes open and staring. The small furry body was frozen and rigid. He was dead_

OoOoO

Yuki no longer felt the cold. He no longer felt anything. His spirit sat beside the pile of clothes and he knew that his lifeless body was inside. What now? What came next? It was still dark in the early morning hours and Yuki was scared of what might happen to him next. What happened after you died? What became of you?

Yuki buried his face in his knees, wanting to cry. He was dead. He'd died before his most precious dream had come true; he'd never felt the love of a family. It had been all he wanted but now he could never have it. He'd seen it once just a few weeks ago. That woman, that mother had been crying for her child. She'd been in despair and Yuki couldn't help but be amazed. She'd cared enough to cry and it seemed like a miracle to him. And that girl had loved her mother just as much. He'd seen her run straight into her mother's open arms and it had been the most beautiful thing he'd ever been witness to.

_He wanted to see them again._

Yuki looked up from his knees and saw that the sky was beginning to become a lighter blue, signaling that the sun would be rising soon. Glancing down at the frozen pile of clothing one last time, he stood up and walked away, not bothering to look back at the main house; a place that only brought him sorrow and pain. There'd be another scandal when he was found to be dead, but he didn't care. He'd already left that life behind and he wanted nothing to do with it anymore. He was free from that even if death had been the only way out.

Yuki wandered the streets trying to remember the way to the apartment where they lived. There was the alley and there was the street he'd led her down. That night he'd been needed and that night he'd witnessed love. He just wanted to be near that _feeling _again.

OoOoO

Tohru pulled the blankets farther up over her head, sighing in her sleep. Although she was curled up beneath the covers, her small feet would have never reached the end of the bed if she hadn't been. Her short hair was a mess around her face which the sunlight gently touched as it slowly bathed the room in golden light.

With a yawn she sat up, stretching before getting out of bed. Rubbing her eyes, she headed into the kitchen to find her mother with an apron tied hastily around her waist while she rushed through preparing breakfast. "Tohru!" she exclaimed when she saw her. Sweeping her into a hug, Kyoko asked how she slept and Tohru nodded groggily, still not quite awake. "Hmm…" Kyoko released her daughter and put some fish scraps into a small dish of milk. "Why don't you go give this to that stray you've been taking care of?" Kyoko asked, giving the bowl to Tohru. "He's been making a racket all morning; I'd bet he's just waiting for you."

Tohru's eyes widened, looking up at her mother, suddenly quite awake. "Really? Okaa-san, has he really?"

Kyoko nodded and shooed her daughter towards the door. Tohru rushed outside after slipping her feet into her shoes. Sure enough, there was the grey cat that had taken to coming to beg at their door every morning. "Good morning, Kitty-san," Tohru said, setting the bowl down for him and sitting down next to the cat while it lapped up the food. Smiling, she patted his head and told him about the lovely dream she'd just woken up from. Once the cat had finished, he gave a satisfied yowl, and began heading down the stairs of the apartment building to ground level, and Tohru waved goodbye. "Have a nice day, Kitty-san."

She'd picked up the empty bowl to take it back inside but stopped when she heard the cat begin hissing and whining at something. She tried to find what it was so angry about but saw nothing. Squinting and pushing her face against the railing, she thought she saw a shimmer of something below even though there didn't appear to be anything there.

"Go away!"

She jumped when she clearly heard a voice coming from what seemed like only air. "Leave me alone!" Tohru looked back at the door leading inside, wondering if she should go get her mother, but when she turned back, she saw very clearly that a little boy about her own age was glaring at the cat with clenched fists. She gasped and stared with her mouth open. He hadn't been there before; was it magic? Was he a magic boy?

"You don't have to be angry at me anymore, so just… go!" The little boy sat down on the pavement and continued to gaze coldly at the grey creature. Agitated, the cat hissed again and took a swipe at the boy's leg, but his paw went straight through and didn't make contact. "See? It you can't do anything anyway," the boy said, sounding sad.

Tohru tilted her head, confused. "Are you okay?" she called down to him, unsure if she should be scared or not. The boy's gaze cautiously met hers, obviously surprised that she'd spoken to him. And he almost seemed happy and a little hopeful. Before he could answer and, leaving the cat's bowl on the ground, she hurried down the stairs, arms out slightly to keep her balance. The cat hadn't been able to touch him, and it made her worry. She sat down in front of him, looking him directly in the eyes. He stared back looking scared, hopeful, nervous, and unsure all at once. Tohru still didn't know if she should be scared or not, but she was determined to be friendly. "Um… Are you lost?"

Yuki stared at her for a moment, swallowing nervously. He looked away and back at her. "I… no… I came to see you." He hadn't thought she'd be able to see him and it confused him. He was a ghost wasn't he? A spirit. No one was supposed to be able to see him. Unsure, he scooted back a little, but Tohru only mimicked his movements to keep the same distance they'd had before.

"You came to see me?" she asked.

He looked away, taking hold of his knees. "I did. I wanted to see… if you were okay, I guess. It was probably rude of me, wasn't it?"

Tohru tilted her head, confused. "I met you before?"

His voice dropped to a whisper. "Last month. I brought you home." It had been the most meaningful experience in his young traumatic life and yet something he'd never spoken of before. Saying it out loud made it seem somehow fragile and vulnerable. He was used to his words and thoughts being twisted and destroyed; speaking out about something so precious felt dangerous. "I brought you home and gave you a hat."

Tohru suddenly leaped up, almost losing her balance. "Oh! I have to tell Okaa-san! She'll be so happy you came back!"

Yuki stared up at her, mouth open a little. "H-happy?"

Tohru plopped back down on the ground in front of him. "Of course! We were very grateful to you. Okaa-san and I prayed for you and that you might come back. We never got to thank you." Tohru smiled and then introduced heself, "I'm Tohru Honda, what's your name?"

Yuki stared at her for a long moment before stuttering his own name in response. "Y-Yuki Sohma."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Yuki-kun," Tohru stood up and held out her hand. "You should come meet Okaa-san now too."

Yuki looked up at her for a long moment. She was smiling at him and holding out her hand to _him. _He wanted to reach out and take it, feel the warmth of her palm and follow her up into that apartment and meet the woman who he had seen show so much love for her child. But… "I… can't," he said slowly. "I can't meet her." He couldn't hide the regret in his voice and hesitantly explained. "Please, don't be scared, um… Honda-san, but… I'm not alive. I'm not…" Yuki gulped. He didn't want her to run away; he didn't want her to leave him behind. Where would he go if she left him? "I died last night," he said voice barely a breath.

Tohru froze, suddenly remembering how the cat's paw had flowed straight through him. Dead? Just to be sure she reached out a small hand to try and touch him but met only air. She gasped and drew back, a little frightened. Seeing her expression, Yuki felt his heart shatter a little. He got to his feet, backing away from her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have… I'm sorry." He didn't want to scare her and if that meant having to leave then he'd rather do that then let her be scared of him.

Just as he turned to leave, feeling the sensation of tears building up, he heard that sweet voice call after him. "Yuki-kun, wait! Even if… even if you're dead, you're still here. I'd really like to be your friend." He looked at her again but before he could speak she was skipping towards the steps up to the apartment, gesturing for him to follow. Feeling his heart lift, Yuki followed her.

When they stepped inside the apartment, Tohru gave him a warm smile and Yuki felt his fears melt away a little. "Okaa-san will be so happy to meet you."

Yuki followed her into the kitchen, and watched as she ran straight to her mother. "Okaa-san! I fed Kitty-san! He really liked it."

"Of course he did," Kyoko said. "How could he resist with a little cutie like you feeding him?"

Tohru giggled and Yuki thought it was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. He watched her in awe as she held onto her mother, and as her mother held her close in return. After a moment or two, Tohru wriggled out of her mother's arms and gestured to Yuki. "This is Yuki-kun, Okaa-san. He's the boy from before! With the hat! Isn't it amazing? He came back!"

Kyoko looked from her daughter to where she was pointing, but saw nothing. Just empty air. For a minute she was confused, but looking at Tohru's excited face, she realized how real her friend was to her. She'd play along then. If it would make Tohru happy, then she'd do it. Kyoko, got down to the level she imagined the boy might be at. "You did me a huge favor by bringing my little girl home, Yuki-kun," she said, grinning. Behind her smile, her words were serious, and her honest feelings towards that boy who had helped her daughter were there. "She's my biggest treasure and if she hadn't been found I probably would have been lost too. Why don't you stick around as long as you'd like? You can keep taking care of my Tohru if you'd like."

Yuki stared into the woman's eyes, not sure how he was supposed to respond to such gratitude. "Y-you're welcome. Is it really okay if I stay? I don't want to be a bother…"

Tohru smiled. "I really would like it if you did. I haven't had a friend before."

"I haven't… had any either. Except once. But they forgot."

Tohru held out her pinky finger. "I won't forget you, Yuki-kun. I promise." Yuki didn't understand what she wanted him to do at first but then held his hand so that his pinky finger appeared to wrap around hers. With another giggle, Tohru wrapped her pinky finger around his as well, despite that she couldn't feel anything there. "I promise," she said again.

Kyoko could see her daughter's happiness and genuine belief in her new friend. Where could the harm be in an imaginary friend? With a soft laugh to herself she set three places for breakfast while listening to Tohru's one sided conversation with Yuki. She showed Yuki her bedroom and gave him a tour of the apartment while Kyoko dished out breakfast. She watched Tohru for a while before calling her over to eat.

Yuki was shocked to see a place for him as well, but sat down next to Tohru. He couldn't eat it of course, but maybe… maybe that didn't matter. Just being a part of this. Sitting here in such a loving family setting; it was all he'd ever wanted. The two people sitting there with him had been his perfect example of love in this world since he'd first seen them; and somehow… somehow they'd asked him to join them in this perfect place. This heaven. If heaven was different for everyone, maybe this was his. Yuki closed his eyes, praying it wasn't just a dream. But when he opened them, he was still there.

It was where he wanted to stay forever. Right there.

**I hope you enjoyed my offering of a first chapter. I'll update as I write them so I can't give a specific update date. D: Sorry. Please review and tell me what you thought!**


	2. Double Slides

**I'm sorry! I know it's been a while and I'm sorry! Thanks to my wonderful reviewers: KnowledgeandImagination, exploding korean, Miri-chan, kayjaylew, TohruandYukiforever, JamesBirdsong, sparklybutterfly42, Tokioo, The Character's Death, KusajishiFukutaicho, Nkaura-Ruta-La, Sophia Lena Duchannes Riddle, Michelle Potter-Black, 1Hell of a Monster, and AssassinedAngel.**

**Disclaime****r: I do not own Fruits Basket or its characters therein. All rights go to Natsuki Takaya.**

"_Has he come out yet?" Shigure asked the Sohma staff member standing by the door of Akito's room. Akito had locked herself into her room the morning Yuki had been discovered frozen outside the door. Well, one form of his body anyway. Akito had gone into a raging fit, breaking everything and screaming at anyone who approached. She forced blame on everyone but herself, accusing them of not letting him inside from the cold. The truth was that Akito had informed everyone that no one was allowed in the rooms near the door she'd locked Yuki out of. No one had known why and no one had questioned her. When Shigure had found the small child asleep, still guarding that section of the house, he'd carried her to bed and thought nothing of it. No one had bothered to ask where Yuki was since there were days that no one saw him and it never surprised anyone to never glimpse Akito's younger companion._

_The woman shook her head, saying, "Not yet, Shigure-san." _

"_I thought as much." Shigure leaned against the wall and made a small motion with his hands. "You can go if you like. I'll stay here for a while." The woman nodded and left Shigure with his thoughts._

_When Yuki's frozen clothing and rat body had been discovered … it had caused a bit of an uproar. The whole Sohma estate was still whispering and gossiping and lamenting it. From what Shigure could see though, none but Akito seemed to be truly mourning Yuki's death. They seemed regretful at best; indifferent to Yuki's humanity and mourning only who he was as part of the Zodiac. That was just fate, though, wasn't it? In the end, that was all anyone really knew about Yuki. He kept to himself so much, that no one had been much aware of him. Or had it been that everyone simply ignored him; in hopes to not notice his suffering and feel guilty?_

_No one had known that small forgotten child. Akito probably knew him best and she was the one who had locked him out in the cold and inadvertently killed him. "What a sad pathetic existence," he muttered, wondering to himself what it must have been like for someone so young to live such an exalted and yet overlooked life. _

OoOoO

The next morning Yuki had followed Tohru to school, much to her delight. "I don't have any friends in class," she whispered to him as they entered the classroom. "So I'm really happy you came with me today." The other children were milling around, talking and laughing while they took their seats. Yuki couldn't understand how someone as caring as Tohru didn't have friends with so many people around her.

"Why don't you have any friends here?" Yuki asked, standing by the desk where she was neatly laying out her pencils and erasers.

Tohru didn't look at him and kept organizing her school supplies on the desk. Slowly, she whispered, "They think my name is weird. They say that girls shouldn't be called 'Tohru' and that my parents must have wanted a boy instead of me." Then Tohru looked back up at him and smiled. "But it's okay now, Yuki-kun. Because I have you!"

Yuki couldn't respond right away and looked into her happy and trusting eyes. He knew what he wanted to say; that he wasn't lonely anymore either now that he had her. But it had only been a little more than a day and he couldn't bring himself to admit something so precious out loud. Words were dangerous, vulnerable, and a risk. Even if only she heard him, old habits pressed upon him and he couldn't say what he wanted to. Instead he said something different. "I like your name. I think it sounds nice."

Tohru's face lit up and she smiled. "Really? I'm happy that you think so!"

Yuki smiled, happy to have made someone else (and especially her) happy. He wanted her to be happy and he'd do everything he could so that she could keep that smile with her and never have to lose it. Was it okay? Was it okay to want that when he'd known her for such a short time? He didn't know for sure, but watching her throughout the school day as she tried her best and listened and interacted with others made him happy. It made him happy to see her happy.

Just before lunch, the students were finishing up the math portion of the day and Yuki could tell Tohru wasn't having an easy time. He very nearly had tried to help her, but had stopped himself, remembering how every teacher he'd ever had had always reminded them that they weren't supposed to talk in class. Somehow he still felt as if he should follow that rule even though Tohru would be the only one to hear him. He didn't like watching her struggle when he found the answer so easily.

"Honda," the teacher called. "Why don't you answer this one?"

Tohru looked up nervously, as if hoping that she hadn't actually been called on. "Me?"

"Yes, you." The teacher turned to the board and pointed to the problem, with an expectant smile. "Twelve times six. Can you do it?"

Tohru stood up, embarrassed and clasping her hands behind her back. "I… um… sixty…eight? Sixty-eight?"

Yuki saw her face flush when some of the other kids started laughing behind their hands. Yuki looked around the classroom, their hidden giggles making him angry. Who were they to laugh at her? She was trying, wasn't she? "Seventy-two," he said suddenly. "The answer is seventy-two." Tohru turned to look at him, not understanding. But she stuttered out the answer that he'd given her, twisting her fingers together nervously.

"That's correct! Good job!"

Tohru's eyes met Yuki's again and they exchanged a smile as she sat back down in her seat. Yuki was pleased; Tohru was happy and her classmates had stopped laughing at her. Didn't they realize how rude they were being? So what if she hadn't known the answer? He'd have liked to see one of them try and answer that question correctly right away without first thinking about it. Did they always laugh at her like that? The thought made him sad. Surely, they didn't always laugh like this, right? That would be too cruel. People had questioned his somewhat odd hair and eye color and he'd silently accepted it without further comment. It had hurt though, and he wondered if that was one of the reasons his classmates hadn't wanted to associate with him and had more than often than not excluded him.

Suffice to say, it bothered him to know that Tohru was treated in a similar way. Class let out shortly and Yuki waited for Tohru to put her books in her bag and then followed her outside. "Do they laugh like that often?" he asked.

Tohru's hands gripped her school bag's straps. "I guess so. I'm not very smart though, so they have reasons to." She looked down at the pavement. "That's why I was so happy that you came with me today to school, Yuki-kun. Since none of the kids like me, it's nice to have a friend." Yuki tried to respond but Tohru suddenly broke into a run. "Okaa-san!" Kyoko waved at the school gate and Yuki watched Tohru as she ran straight into her mother's arms.

Kyoko lifted her daughter up and spun her around once. "I got off work early today and thought you and Yuki-kun might like to go to the playground to play. Would you like that?"

Tohru nodded enthusiastically as her mother picked her up and set her on top of her shoulders. "Off we go then! We're on an adventure!"

Yuki stared up, amazed by the love that Kyoko showed her daughter. How could it be that there were parents like this and then parents like his and the other Sohmas? What was different? Had _he_ done something wrong? Was it _his _fault that his parents were so uncaring? Hadn't Akito suggested similar things to him?

At the park Yuki followed Tohru as she ran around the playground equipment. She was so happy and carefree. Even after all that teasing she was happy. He hoped she never lost that. It would be such a shame if that light went out. Picturing her as sad, upset, or hurt made him want to _protect _her. He wanted to protect her and her happiness. It was rare for him to have ever felt the childlike happiness that she seemed to live with. Well, at least not in life – only once. And now, again, with her. Whatever gift fate had given him, he would appreciate it. Even if he couldn't physically feel anything, he could feel happiness when he was with her. He could feel it expanding inside his chest and growing.

"Yuki-kun!" Tohru called, holding out her hand. "Come race me on the double slides!"

Yuki smiled and joined her at the top of the two short slides; he'd never raced anyone before. He'd never played on a playground at all, come to think of it. "Should we go on the count of three, Honda-san?"

Tohru had been reaching for the bar above the top of the slide, but stopped when he said her name. "Why do you call me Honda-san, Yuki-kun?"

"It's… your name?"

It wasn't the answer she had been looking for and she shook her head. "No, I mean, why won't you call me 'Tohru'?" She wanted him to be comfortable with her and "Honda-san" sounded so formal. "People call Okaa-san 'Honda-san' but I'm just Tohru."

Yuki had been brought up in such a formal environment that it had seemed natural to him. He didn't want to explain that though, and instead hesitantly stuttered out, "Tohru-kun?"

"That's me!" Tohru said happily. He smiled quietly, enjoying how her name had felt and sounded. It felt like he was closer to her. _Closer. _These simple daily things he experienced with her, things he'd never experienced until now… they gave him so much joy. Racing down slides, sitting with her while she ate lunch in school, watching her and her mother together. He felt complete. That apartment and the people in it had become exactly what he'd dreamed of.

Loving parents, a home no one would want to leave, a happy home, a warm place, with everyone smiling.

He'd found it. Maybe he couldn't touch it. Maybe he couldn't truly exist there. But he was a part of it, and it was more than he'd ever imagined could become possible. Yuki watched Tohru and Kyoko, the joy warming his heart growing. Kyoko was laughing, fixing Tohru's hair so it wasn't wasn't lopsided like it had been after running around the playground. "There you go!" Kyoko said, giving her daughter's hair one last tweak. She stood up, taking Tohru's hand and then said, "Let's go, Yuki-kun. We've got to get home and fix up something for dinner."

He nodded, wishing he could hold onto Kyoko's other hand the way Tohru could. He wanted to. He knew he couldn't, but as they walked back to the apartment, Yuki watched Kyoko's free hand as it swung back and forth. When Tohru wasn't looking, he quietly reached out his own hand, wanting to at least try. Even if he knew he couldn't, he wanted to try. His fingertips flowed right through her hand as he knew they would but—

_Tires screeched on the pavement, glass shattered, and then there was a thud. The onlookers gasped and screamed, some running forward to try and help._

"_Someone call an ambulance! Is the driver okay?"_

Eyes widening, Yuki pulled his hand away from Kyoko's, staring up at her. What… what had that been? The scene had been blurred and only the sounds had been clear. He reached out his hand again, trying to touch her once more, this time shutting his eyes tightly. Whatever it was, it had sounded bad, he didn't want it to be Kyoko. He didn't want her to be hurt. The sounds were back, but he concentrated, terrified that it was Kyoko; it couldn't be her.

_Blood on the pavement; so much blood. And the woman lying there, her orange-dyed hair stained with crimson was slowly dying, her life fading..._

"No!" Yuki yanked his hand away, not wanting to see any more of that horrible scene. "Not her! That's not fair!" Yuki shook his head, refusing to believe it even as the tears began to flow. Kyoko couldn't die! What would happen to Tohru? What would happen to that loving home? "Not her, not her, not her," Yuki repeated, shaking his head.

Tohru let go of Kyoko's hand and ran back to her friend, worried. "Yuki-kun? What's wrong?" Why was he looking at her like that? Why was he crying? She reached out to him, wanting to comfort him.

_Tohru, a grown-up Tohru in a high school uniform, knelt by a hospital bed crying. But there was no beeping to indicate a heartbeat. There was no life in Kyoko's still body._

Yuki stumbled backwards, covering his face with his hands and screaming. "_Make it stop! _Someone make it stop!" He couldn't understand and he didn't know what to do. Kyoko couldn't die. Tohru loved her mother too much; they needed eachother. Yuki clutched his knees to his chest, not wanting to believe any of it. That couldn't be in their future. Not these precious people. Not them.

"Okaa-san, something's wrong. Yuki-kun's hurt, I think!" Tohru pulled her mother back to Yuki who was now clutching his ears there on the sidewalk repeating something to himself over and over again. Tohru got down on her knees next to him, at a loss.

Unsure, Kyoko got down too and leaned forward, knowing that Tohru was counting on her to fix whatever the problem was. "Hey, kiddo," she said softly. "Whatever hurts, whatever's wrong, it'll get better. We'll go home and then we'll try again, okay? Things are going to be okay."

But they weren't. Yuki knew something and he couldn't just forget it and move on. He couldn't look at either of them; they were fragile beings and he knew how they were going to break and shatter. What could he do? He wouldn't let them shatter. He wouldn't.

**Poor Yun. I just won't let him be happy. I give him a family and then threaten to take it away. Anyway, what did you think? I'm sorry it took so long and I hope it was worth the wait. Was it? I hope you enjoyed it, either way. **** Review? Please?**


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